Tea-party mania: Taxpayers to storm White House

[Confederate Kahanist]

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=140221



Thousands of taxpayers from across the nation are planning to descend on the White House Thursday, and a million more are expected to take their fight against excessive spending, growth of big government and soaring deficits to more than 700 rallies in U.S. cities this week.

Tea Party Patriots estimates that there are currently 737 Tax Day tea party events scheduled by local organizations across the nation. The group offers a list of many of the events for those interested in attending and a zip code search feature to find local rallies. Also, FreedomWorks, leading organizer of the Washington rally, has a separate list of nearly 200 events scheduled for April 15.

"This April 15 will be the largest network of events across the country that I believe we've seen in a long time," FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe said in a recent conference call. "We expect millions of people to show up across the country protesting a government that is out of control, a government that does not listen to the American people. We want to take our country back."


Sept. 12, 2009, taxpayer march on Washington (photo by Barbara Auchter)

Meanwhile, FreedomWorks is asking for last-minute donations to fund a live stream broadcast of the event and purchase portable restrooms, security barriers and signs for a massive tea party at the White House Ellipse from 5:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tea Party TV also plans to provide streaming coverage of the Tax Day tea parties and is inviting citizens to submit their own videos and photos of the events.

Speakers at the Washington rally include Lord Monckton, Andrew Breitbart, former Rep. Dick Armey, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Tucker Carlson, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., and Rev. C.L. Bryant. Kibbe said they will talk about the major economic issues of the day, including strategies to combat the Democrats' recently passed health-care legislation, energy taxation and a 50-state strategy to take America back.

Tea party 'crazies' or crashers?

As WND reported, an organization calling itself "Crash the Tea Party" claims it will send operatives to infiltrate various Tax Day tea parties and make the movement appear to be a group of racist and homophobic "morons."

"Whenever possible, we will act on behalf of the Tea Party in ways that will exaggerate their least appealing qualities (i.e. misspelled protest signs, wild claims on TV interviews, etc.) to further distance them from mainstream America and damage the public's opinion of them," the website states. "We will also use inside information that we have gained in order to disrupt and derail their plans."

However, the website's comments section appears to have been overrun by critics of the "Crash the Tea Party" scheme. Likewise, while the Tax Day Tea Party Facebook page has nearly 70,000 members, a Facebook page set up for "Crash the Tea Party" features a paltry 256 supporters.

Another group of tea-partiers formed a "Crashing 'Crash the Tea Party'" page with more than 1,100 supporters.

"There has been almost zero planning and coordination for the effort by the left," it reports. "Instead, there has been endless flames, sniping and debating. The website has been flooded by conservatives to the point that it crashes on a regular basis."

"Crash the Tea Party" organizers have taken to Twitter, imploring left-leaning media outlets and personalities such as Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and National Public Radio to cover their efforts.

The tea-party movement has seen several unsuccessful efforts to sabotage its efforts. WND reported in March when "National Coffee Party Day," a countrywide launch of a leftwing movement meant as an answer to the tea parties, welcomed miniscule crowds – even after receiving news-media buildup from CNN, MSNBC, New York Times, National Public Radio, Washington Post, Seattle Times and dozens of other outlets.

WND was also first to report in February when Democrat operatives – using a suite address for Joseph Sandler, general counsel to the Democratic National Committee and a lead attorney in the Obama eligibility case – launched a major ad campaign to "prevent the tea party's dangerous ideas from gaining legislative traction." And exactly one year ago, WND reported when ACORN was planning pro-Obama rallies during the 2009 Tax Day tea party.

So far, none of the efforts to disrupt the movement appear to have been successful. However, Pajamas Media is asking tea partiers to work together and "beat them at their own game."

"If you see anyone with an offensive sign, take a picture of it and forward it to us at Pajamas Media," a post on the organization's website urges. "[W]e'll publish it, along with an explicit statement that this doesn't reflect the real tea party spirit. Try to get the person's face, so they can be properly shamed."

Virtual march on the White House

For those Americans who can't make it to Washington to show their support on Tax Day, the Online Tax Revolt, a citizens' virtual march on the nation's capital, will be available. So far, more than 260,000 people have signed up for the effort.


Screenshot of avatars "marching" to Washington, D.C.

Those who wish to join the march may log on to OnlineTaxRevolt.com, choose an "avatar" – an animated, online representation of a real person – and start its march to the nation's capital. Organizers explain that participants can march individually or in teams and boast the site is equipped with Google Maps, which enables participants to track the location their avatars and follow their progress to Washington.

Kibbe said he believes millions of citizens will participate in Tax Day rallies across the nation. Aside from the Washington protest, some of the largest events are expected to take place in cities such as Tampa, Fla.; New York City, N.Y.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Atlanta, Ga.; Chicago, Ill.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Sacramento, Calif.; Lansing, Mich.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Cleveland, Ohio.

"I believe, nationally, we're going to have twice as many people as we had last year," Kibbe said.

Where will the president be while Americans march?

Obama will be at singer Gloria Estefan's Miami Beach mansion for a $30,400-a-couple cocktail reception fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee following a visit to the Kennedy Exploration Center earlier in the day.